Ditcher gauge



Jan. 5, 1960 A. BETHANY DITCHER GAUGE Filed July 12. 1957 INVENTOR.

BY ALEX BfTfi/l/VY U ited? States Patent O DITCHER GAUGE Alex Bethany, Sheffield, Ala.

Application July 12, 1957, Serial No. 671,516

4 Claims. (Cl.'33-18 'This invention relates to improvements in gauges for use on excavating machines and more particularly it involves a device for enabling the operator of an excavator machine to maintain an even grade line as his machine changes its inclination to the horizontal.

In many excavating operations and particularly in the digging of trenches for drainage, pipe laying and the like, it is desirable that the grade line of the trench dug by the excavating machine be as near as possible to the finished grade line to eliminate costly hand finishing. In most trenching type excavators the position of the digging member must be constantly adjusted to compensate for the change \of depth of cut resulting from sudden changes of inclination of the machine as it moves over uneven surface terrain in an attempt to maintain the desired even grade line.

In the past the means for indicating to the machine operator what compensating adjustment to make as his machine changes positions have been cumbersome, diflicult to use, and generally involved the setting of guiding sights, lines, or stakes exterior to the excavating machine.

An object of this invention is to provide an indicating device for excavating machines which automatically indicates to the operator what adjustment to make to compensate for changes in the inclination of the excavating machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide an automatic compensation indicator for excavating machines which is wholly mounted on the excavating machine.

A further object of this invention is to provide an automatic compensation indicator for excavating machines whichis easily read and interpreted by the operator of the machine.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an automatic compensation indicator which is simply constructed of few moving parts and which is economical to manufacture, easy to install, rugged and endurable in use.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description and claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example the various embodiments of this invention:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, in schematic representation, of a trenching machine with the subject indicator mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the indicating mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation view of an alternative form of the travel weight portion of the indicator;

Fig. 5 is a sectional viewalong line 5 -5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view along line 6--6 of Fig. 2.

The adaptation of this invention to one type of trenching machine is illustrated in Fig. l where 10 indicates generally a trenching machine, illustrated schematically, which has a frame 11, digging member 12, an arm 13 ice which is rigidly secured to the digging member 12, and supporting and transporting means 16.

The indicating apparatus comprises generally a calibrated depth indicating member 20 which is secured to the frame of the excavating machine, a travel weight 30 slidably mounted on the depth gauge 20 and a flexible member 40 secured to arm 13 at point 41 and passing over suitable pulleys 42 and 43 to support travel weight 30 on depth gauge 20. The travel weight 30 has an inclinometer mounted thereon.

The depth gauge 20 is formed of suitable sheet material, preferably metal, and has its edge zones 21 and 22 bent toward each other on the same side of the body 23. In addition the front face of the body 23 is marked with an index 26 calibrated in terms of the depth of cut of the digging member of the excavating machine.

Travel weight 39 is also made of a suitable sheet material, preferably metal, and comprises a face plate 31 and a back member 32 which is generally c-shaped with two sharply curved portions 33 and 34 facing each other. On the ends of the short sides of the curves 33 and 34 are legs 35 joining the back member to the face plate 31. The dimensions of the C-shaped portion are such that it will surround depth gauge 29 as shown in Fig. 6, the clearance within the bends 33 and 34 being such that the edge portions 21 and 22 of member 20 will be frictionally grasped within the bends. Preferably, the weight of travel weight 39 will be sufficient to overcome this frictional engagement of the travel weight on the depth gauge 20 and thus the travel weight will have a tendency to slide down the depth gauge. The face plate is provided with a registering edge or portion 36 which registers with index 26 of the depth gauge. In addition, the face plate 31 has an extension 38 which has a hole 39 extending therethrough to provide a means for securing the flexible supporting member 40* to the travel weight 30.

An inclinometer is mounted upon the front side of face plate 3 1. In Fig. 2 a combination of two types of inclinometers is shown, the first being a curved fluid filled,

bubble tube 50 in which the position of the bubble 51 indicates the inclination from the horizontal. The second possibility shows a weighted pendulum pointer 53 pivotally mounted on the face plate at point 54' which is between the center of gravity of the pointer 53 and the point 55. Indices 57 are provided to read on either inclinometer, the calibration of which will be later explained.

Fig. 4 shows another type inclinometer which can be utilized on the travelweight of my device. Pendulum pointer 69, having a suitable indicating point 61, is pivotally mounted to the face plate 31a at 62. An index 63 is located to be easily compared to the position of point 61.

The inclinometer indices 57 and 63 are calibrated to read the change in depth of cut of the digging member 12 resulting from a corresponding inclination of the excavating machine 11.

The various parts of my indicator will normally be adjusted so that the travel Weight register 36 reads a zero on index 26- with the machine resting on a level surface and with the digging member just touching that surface.

Operation Patented Jan. 5-, 1960 ceeds along the line. of excavation, any changes of inclination of the machine cause a change in the reading on the inclinometer. By reading the depth value on the inclinometer corresponding to the position of the indicating pointed 53 or 60 or bubble 51, the operator immediately knows what sense and what amount of correction should be made to his depth setting to maintain the desired finish grade line. This adjustment is then made in the position of the digging member 12 and is reflected in the position of the travel weight 34) relative to the depth gauge 20.

The frictional engagement of the travel weight 30 and the depth gauge 20 will dampen or prevent vibrations or oscillations of the indicator which would otherwise occur due to the vibrations, jolts and jars usually incident to operation of a machine of this type.

Thus, it can readily be seen that the instant device provides the operator of an excavating machine a readily readable indication of the compensating adjustments to be made as his machine passes over rough surface terrain and that it places the depth indicator and the inclination compensation indicator in a position where both are readily readable and in which their proximity enables the operator to keep both under constant surveillance.

lt may be desirable, in some installations, to install the depth indicator 20 in movable relation to the frame 11. This would permit adjusting the position of the indicator so that the travel weight 39' would read zero on the indicator 20 when the digging member 12 is set to the desired depth of cut, then all plus and minus variations indicated on the inclinometer would merely be matched on the depth indicator 29 by changing the position of the digging member 12.

't lhile the invention has been described in connection with dilferent embodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains, and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth and as 'fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A depth and inclination compensation gauge for indicating the correct positioning of the digging memer on an excavating machine comprising a depth gauge member secured to said machine, a travel weight slidably mounted on said depth gauge member, means for linearly moving said travel weight as said digging member is adjusted, means on said depth gauge member and said travel weight for indicating the depth setting of said digging member, and an inclinometer mounted on said travel weight, said inclinometer calibrated toread the change of depth of cut of the digging member resulting as the excavating machine is tilted about a horizontal axis transverse to the digging member.

2. A depth and inclination compensation gauge as in claim 1 and wherein said depth gauge member is adjustably secured to said machine.

3. A depth and inclination compensation gauge for indicating the correct positioning of the digging member on an excavating machine comprising a depth gauge member secured to said machine, a travel weight slidably mounted on said depth gauge member, a flexible member secured at one end to said digging member and having said travel weight suspended from the other end whereby positioning of said digging member relative to said excavating machine slides said travel weight linearly along said depth gauge member, means on said depth gauge member and said travel weight for indicating the depth setting of said digging member, and an inclinometer mounted on said travel weight, said inclinorneter calibrated to read the change of depth of cut of said digging member resulting as said excavating machine is tilted about a horizontal axis transverse to the digging member.

4. A depth and inclination compensation gauge for indicating the correct positioning of the digging membet on an excavating machine comprising a depth gauge member secured to said machine; a travel weight slidably mounted on said gauge member, said travel weight frictionally engaging said gauge member, the weight of said travel weight being sufficient to overcome the frictional engagement of said travel weight with said depth gauge member; a flexible member having one end secured to the digging member of said excavating machine and said travel weight suspended from the other end whereby positioning of said digging member relative to said excavating machine slides said travel weight linearly along said depth gauge member, cooperating index and register means on said depth gauge member and said travel weight whereby the position of the travel weight on said depth gauge member indicates the depth of cut of said digging member below the plane of support of said excavating machine; and an inclinometer on said travel weight, said inclinometer calibrated to read the change of depth of cut of the digging member as the excavating machine is tilted about a horizontal axis transverse to the digging member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 723,351 Abbee Mar. 24, 1903 1,300,371 French Apr. 15, 1919 1,623,406 Hand Apr. 5;"1927 2,334,459 Van Voorhis Nov. 16, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 88,110 Germany Dec. 28, 1895 

